Pteropus griseus, E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1810

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 142

147.

Wallacean Gray Flying Fox

Pteropus griseus

French: Roussette grise / German: Grauer Wallacea-Flughund / Spanish: Zorro volador gris

Other common names: Gray Flying Fox

Taxonomy. Pteropus griseus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1810 ,

“L’1le de Timor.

Pteropus griseus is in the griseus species group. It has often been misidentified due to morphological similarities with P. melanotus , P. hypomelanus , and P. speciosus . Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.g.griseusE.GeoffroySaint-Hilaire,1810—ELesserSundas(Flores,Alor,Wetar,Ti-mor,andBabarIs).

P.g.mimusK.Andersen,1908—currentlyonlyonMantaluDaka,Peleng,andSelayarIs,offSulawesi;formerlyalsoinSSulawesi,andapparentlyonSangiheandTalaudIs.

P. g. pallidus Temminck, 1825 — S Moluccas (Banda I).

Descriptive notes. Head—-body 170-223 mm (tailless), ear 20-27 mm, hindfoot 53— 57 mm, forearm 113-130 mm; weight 230-370 g. Greatest lengths of skulls are 52— 63 mm. Size and color vary among subspecies and geographical regions, but size does not vary between sexes. Eyes are moderately large, with chestnut-brown irises. Ears are somewhat broad, with bluntly pointed tips. Crown and head are light buffy to mousegray. Body is smoke-gray to brown, with flecks of gray hair throughout and at times russet tinge; contrasting mantle is usually russet. Base of fur is brown, fur is closely adpressed and silky, and mantle of males is coarse. Mantle produces “mold-like” musk. Rump and legs are ocherous or buffy. Underparts from posterior to collar are buffy to sepia, with gray hairs mixed in. Subspecies mimus is generally larger and darker on back and belly; subspecies griseus is palest and grayest. Tibia is naked. Skull has welldeveloped postorbital processes; temporal ridges form well-developed sagittal crest. Orbits are rather large. Coronoid is moderate and somewhat sloping. Palate ridges are 5 + 5+ 3, with no traces of additional ridges between ninth and tenth, and eleventh to thirteen. Incisors are arranged in semicircle, with gap away from canines, and I,is usually twice the size of I. C' and C,are distinctly recurved, with narrow but distinct cingulum around base. P' is reduced and minute, at times being lost in adults. Posterior basal ledge of P” is short and distinctly marked from main cusp compared with ledge of P* thatis less distinct and results in less distinction from main cusp.

Habitat. Primary and secondary lowland forests, coastal forests (Timor), and mangroves surrounded by spiny forests from sea level up to known elevations of ¢. 190 m.

Food and Feeding. Post-meal remnants and guano of Wallacean Gray Flying Foxes include figs ( Ficus spp. , Moraceae ). On Timor, it forages in the same area with other pteropodids, primarily on figs ( Ficus ), Muntingia (Muntingiaceae) , and Borassus (Arecaceae) .

Breeding. On Timor, adult Wallacean Gray Flying Foxes did not have embryos and were not lactating in March-April.

Activity patterns. Wallacean Gray Flying Foxes are crepuscular and nocturnal. They usually leave roosts around dusk to forage. In day roosts, they rest, vocalize, and wing flap.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Wallacean Gray Flying Fox is generally gregarious and roosts colonially in tall trees with low levels of disturbance; in the Lesser Sundas,it roosts singly or in small groups. Individuals from the colony on Mantalu Daka fly 20-30 km /night to forage in primary and secondary montane forests on mainland Sulawesi. This colony generally has less than 1000 individuals of both sexes; seasonally, it reaches 1300 individuals. It occasionally roosts with other flying foxes. Vagrants have been recorded roosting in Corypha (Arecaceae) and Borassus palms on Timor.

Status and Conservation. CITES Appendix II. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Although information is very limited, the Wallacean Gray Flying Fox might be best classified as Endangered given that a single large roost exists in Sulawesi and large colonies have not been found elsewhere. It also generally occurs in mangroves on small islands, putting it at risk from global sea level rise. Deforestation has reduced foraging areas throughout its distribution. It is hunted for the bushmeat market in Sulawesi. Progress is currently underway to create local protection for the last known colony in Sulawesi, located in Mantalu Daka offshore island.

Bibliography. Almeida et al. (2014), Andersen (1912b), Corbet & Hill (1992), Francis, Rosell-Ambal & Helgen (2008), Goodwin (1979), Kitchener & Maryanto (1995), Sheherazade & Tsang (2018), Simmons (2005).

Figures

144. Ornate Flying Fox (Pleropus ornatus), 145. Seram Flying Fox (Pteropus ocularis), 146. Great Flying Fox (Pteropus neohibernicus), 147. Wallacean Gray Flying Fox (Pleropus griseus), 148. Admiralty Flying Fox (Pteropus admiralitatum), 149. Philippine Gray Flying Fox (Pteropus speciosus), 150. Island Flying Fox (Pleropus hypomelanus), 151. Black-eared Flying Fox (Pteropus melanotus), 152. Black Flying Fox (Pleropus alecto), 153. Spectacled Flying Fox (Pteropus conspicillatus), 154. Geelvink Bay Flying Fox (Pteropus pohlei), 155. Marianas Flying Fox (Pteropus mariannus), 156. Palau Flying Fox (Pteropus pelewensis), 157. Pacific Flying Fox (Pteropus tonganus), 158. Kosrae Flying Fox (Pteropus ualanus), 159. Nicobar Flying Fox (Pteropus faunulus), 160. Ontong Java Flying Fox (Pteropus howensis)

Subspecies and Distribution. P.g.griseusE.GeoffroySaint-Hilaire,1810—ELesserSundas(Flores,Alor,Wetar,Ti-mor,andBabarIs). P.g.mimusK.Andersen,1908—currentlyonlyonMantaluDaka,Peleng,andSelayarIs,offSulawesi;formerlyalsoinSSulawesi,andapparentlyonSangiheandTalaudIs. P. g. pallidus Temminck, 1825 — S Moluccas (Banda I).